


The Least Person She Wanted to

by Mirasola



Series: Gratefulness [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Developing Friendships, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, unlikely friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25015960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirasola/pseuds/Mirasola
Summary: Upon learning that the house-elves were insulted by her attempts in freeing them, Hermione locked herself alone in prefects’ bathroom to let her feelings out. Not knowing she’ll seek comfort from the least person she wanted to listen.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Series: Gratefulness [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820098
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	The Least Person She Wanted to

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of the characters.

“Every Evergreen” Hermione quickly spoke while her hand fumbled on the knob. She slammed the Prefects’ bathroom door shut as she felt her vision start to blur. Afterwards, she leaned against it and pressed her palms into her face. She remained like this for a few more minutes until she started collecting herself.

Still sobbing, she headed towards the sink. She started splashing cold water into her hot face which helped alleviate her feelings. However, she put her palms into her face again. Finally deciding to regain herself, her eyes wandered around the room till it met her messy reflection; disheveled hair, swollen eyes and reddened face. She tried combing her hair with her hands to let it back to normal, frizzy yet her normal hair. It somehow cooperated but there this one group of strands of her hair that won’t. She combed it but it is still protruding in front of her face, she tried again yet still unsuccessful, and again, and again, but with more of pulling than combing now. She didn’t notice her rage starting to grow again until her last trial pulled the final thread. “Insensitive-'' she said while pulling some strands “-Ungrateful” still continuing, “Creatures!” She shouted as the whole uncooperative strand fell back at her face. Enraged, she tousled violently her whole hair with both of her hands, making it worse than the previous state. Seeing her reflection again, resigning and letting out a very deep breath. 

“That was such a mess, Granger.” A voice bantered. 

Alarmed, her eyes widened and searched where he is. She found him confidently leaning on one of the posts in the room, which was the closest one in the door, with his arms crossed on his chest. 

_Could this day get worse? This git has a really good timing for his daily banters._

“Malfoy.” She gritted her teeth as she greeted the tall, pale-faced Slytherin Prefect. 

“Granger.” His mouth smirked a little while his eyes looked at her up and down. 

“How long have you’ve been there?” 

“Long enough to watch the whole theatrics.” With his arms still crossed, he straightened himself and walked towards her. 

With each step he makes, she reaches for her wand. 

“How could you have entered?” She asked as she finally reached her wand and gripped it tightly. 

Meanwhile, he rolled his eyes and pointed on his badge, retorting “Did you forget that I’m a prefect too?” 

“Of course I know. The best candidate for a Slytherin Prefect.” She said, emphasizing Slytherin in her tone.

“I’m grateful for your compliment, Granger.” His smirk grew bigger. “But, I’m surprised that you can somehow identify the BEST” stepping closer.

She quickly pulled her wand out and pointed it to him. “One more step and I’ll wipe that pretty smirk on your face.” 

He steadied himself, but his smirk turned into a grin when he uttered “Granger called me pretty. Are you flirting with me, because I must say I’m impressed. You’re improving.” 

“You’re still not answering my question, Malfoy.” She said as her wand steadily pointed at him. “I know that you understand what I mean.” 

“Oh that.” His grin still plastered to his face. “Maybe the door is not locked properly.” 

Upset with his answer, she poked his neck with her wand. 

“Oww.” 

She smiled knowing that she wiped that grin in his face. “Answer me properly Malfoy or you’ll experience what wands are primarily used for.” 

“The door automatically locks when the bath is occupied. Not when someone is just using the sink.” He boredly answered. “Oh you didn’t know that?” His smirk is now reappearing. “I thought you are a know-it-all.” 

“I KNOW.” She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. “Must have forgotten that.” 

“Oh you forgot it?” He puckered his lips to the side, possibly thinking. “I’ll add that to my list.”

“YOU.” She reached him and pointed her wand to his nose. Rage is boiling on her for the third time. If not only on the possible punishments she will receive,not to mention her prefect badge at stake, she might already punch him. Letting her conscience decide, she said “This is pointless.” With her wand still pointed at him, she carefully stepped clockwise to change their positions. She stepped back a few steps and reached for the door. 

“Wait.” 

“What do you want Malfoy?” She stopped mid-way. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” He offered. 

She felt the sincerity in his voice but she couldn’t determine if he’s just acting or not. She couldn’t identify if it is some part of his impromptu plan to humiliate her.

She shook her head a clear sign indicating she doesn’t want to, but her eyes say the opposite as it started to blur again. 

She doesn’t know where to go but she is certain she needs to get out of here. 

“Grang—“ he seems to notice her eyes. 

She looked straight at him and was not fully aware saying “Yes.” Followed by choked sob. 

The word that came out of her mouth suddenly hit her. She quickly ran and reached for the door. It took her a minute to reach the door and when she did, she wiped her eyes first then turned the knob. To her surprise, it didn’t open. She tried again and yet it still didn’t. Desperate, she uttered “Alohomora”. Yet, it didn’t. She kicked the door. She then realized why the door won’t open. 

“Clever boy.” she uttered to herself. She took a deep breath and turned her heels, slowly heading where she thought she would find him. 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

She panicked a little when her eyes landed on the discarded green robe near the bath. She observed it for a little while and noticed that there are no other clothes than the robe, which is a huge relief. Checking her inference, her eyes moved on the bath. There she found him sitting on the bath, with his clothes still on, occupied on playing the bubbles. 

Meanwhile, he heard the footsteps nearing and tilted his head up, finding her looking at the bubbles he was playing. 

“I heard you say yes.” He greeted her, again, yet his eyes are focused on admiring his shiny emerald ring. 

She removed her eyes from the bubbles and looked at him. Not uttering any word.

“Don’t bore me with your questions like why the charm didn’t work.” still with his eyes fixed on the ring. 

She rolled her eyes. 

“I’ll be completely honest with you” he straightened up meanwhile she gulped. “It was pure luck that my idea worked.” He said while smiling. 

She raised her brow. She felt confused. _Does Malfoy have something to do with the Elves’ Hats?_

“Silly of me to jump into this thing, get most of my clothes soaked while you still managed to leave me and not tell me anything even if you said yes. Right?” His elbow leaned on one of the spaces between the numerous taps of the bath. 

Oh okay. That was a relief. 

She didn’t notice that she let out a snort which made Malfoy finally look and glare at her.

“Yes, you’re silly.” she said as she crossed her arms. “If you are having much fun seeing me being helpless, and executing a wicked plan of yours wherein you’ll pretend that you care so that you’ll learn my problem and then you’ll have a new thing to humiliate me, I’m sorry but I’m afraid I already know that.” 

Upon hearing this, he removed his elbow from where it is and stared at her. 

She raised her eyebrow and stared back at him. This continued for a few seconds until he let out a snort. Meanwhile her brows furrowed in the middle. 

His face lit up as his lips curled upward “How crafty you are, Granger.” He shifted his body towards her. He put his arms in front of him, leaned it atop of each other in the top of the three taps, and rested his chin on it. Widely smiling as water from his sleeves drip. 

_Congratulations Malfoy, you have presented a perfect opportunity for my second punch._

Such thought made her smile a little, yet aware that her fists are in a tight curl. She reasoned again quickly with herself and uncurled her fist. 

“Don’t you think I love insulting you three more upfront, than you hearing it from others. It satisfies me more and I want it to come directly from me. I’m a decent nemesis.” he tilted his head a little to the right. 

She stood there, pondering his argument. 

“Think of it” He moved closer “yeah, you saw the ‘Potter Stinks’ badges at other Slytherins first, but I confronted you three that it is my masterpiece and...” 

She cut him off and said “Which you’ll probably do if I tell you what you want to hear. You’ll spread it and rub it into my face afterwards.” She raised her brow, staring sharply at him. “Your argument is weak, Malfoy” 

He blinked several times. He resigned and calmly said “Just put some jinx or charm on me if that’s what you want.” 

What now? I thought he was just bluffing. 

She was shocked to know that he was really eager to know about it. She thought if she confronts him about it, he will let her go. She needs to think of a new plan. 

“Very well then.” She said, faking her confidence. “If you could just get out of there and I’ll--- ” 

“Not happening Granger.” he said boredly. 

There goes her plan of luring him away from the bath so she can run afterwards, away. 

He rested his head on his arms, yawned and closed his eyes. “I’ll be waiting.”

She opened her mouth for a reply but then she was interrupted when he opened his eyes, looked at her and said “Seeing you in such state piqued my curiosity and I want to know why. Not that I’ll use it against you, but I just want to know, maybe I can somehow help.” 

She chuckled and said “Malfoy? Helping a Gryffindor?” 

He ignored her retort. 

“Nosy.” 

“It is not considered nosy if he wants to help.” 

“Still I’m not yet convinced. And what sort of help can you even offer. My problem doesn’t involve galleons, not that I’ll resort to you.” 

“You hurt my feelings Granger.” He frowned “You see, it is very wrong of me to soak myself and spend my time just for someone who won’t appreciate my intentions.” 

That hit her. Maybe he is truthful on what he is saying. Is she being ungrateful? Ungrateful because the thought of him helping her is an insult to her house, her kind and herself? Maybe that helped her understand her problem a little, she might understand now how the elves feel when she keeps on indirectly forcing them to let themselves free, even if they don’t want to. Yet it still hurts knowing that your intentions and efforts are not well understood. Should she give him a chance? Should she believe in his intentions? Or maybe she could think of another plan. 

“It started this summer.” She said in a very low voice. 

That made him sit upward on the bath and slowly nodded at her. 

_____________________________________________________________________

She expected to hear disrespectful comments from him as she tells him her story of her attempts on freeing house elves, but she was surprised to see him listening intently at her and saying nothing at all. She tried her best to suppress her tears for she didn’t want to cry in front of him. She didn’t tell him the whole story though, on how she made SPEW. She kept her story very specific on how she got into that state he saw, on how she learned that only Dobby, coincidentally his former house-elf, is the only one who wears her elf hats and socks. 

“And that’s what you want to hear.” She finished her story and stood up. She felt relieved that someone listened to her, even the least she wanted to. 

“Well that describes how I feel a while ago.” he retorted as his eyes followed her. 

She rolled her eyes. “Your presence is enough, if you please, I don’t want to hear any advice or banter from you.”

He tilted his head with a brow raised, saying “If you say so.” 

Her hand pulled out her wand. “You’ve agreed that I’ll put a charm on you in order for you to stay true at your intentions, right?” 

He got out of the bath, clothes dripping, and stood in front of her. 

In a flick of her wand, sparks fly from her wand into him. 

“Great choice of charm.” 

“I’ll also stay true to my words.” She smiled without showing her teeth. “And also..” she flicked her wand again. 

Feeling his clothes dried, he smiled and said “You know I can do that myself.” 

She felt her face heat up but she quickly thought of a reply “A ‘Thank you’ is enough, Malfoy.” 

“Oh yeah, I forgot, gratefulness is the virtue of the day.” He said while putting on his robes. 

She just rolled her eyes and turned to leave. 

However, he catches up to her and offers his hand. 

“What’s that for?” She stopped to look at him and raised her brow. 

“I’m grateful you let me.” 

She looked at his hand, then his face, and then back to his hand. With fingers trembling, she slowly reached his hand and shook it. 

He looked into her eyes, leaned closer and whispered to her ear “Just a bit of advice, Granger. Don’t be too nice.” 

As he stepped back, she noticed his signature smirk was back. She stood there frozen, watching him turn his back and leave the bathroom.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first work in the fandom and I hope you like it. 
> 
> I originally planned it to be a series/ few chapters, please leave a comment if you think I should continue it. I’ll be really grateful for your comments.
> 
> Edit: Thank you for your comments. It really inspired me into writing. 
> 
> PART 2 is now on the works ^____^


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